Novo Nordisk and Roche Diabetes Care are joining forces to make insulin pump therapy simpler for people with diabetes

Today, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) under the European Medicines Agency (EMA) adopted positive opinion recommending marketing of NovoRapid® (insulin aspart) PumpCart® in Europe. Insulin aspart PumpCart® is a 1.6 ml prefilled insulin pump cartridge containing the rapid-acting insulin aspart. It is compatible with Roche Diabetes Care’s next-generation Accu-Chek® Insight diabetes therapy system.

Insulin aspart PumpCart® has been developed in a non-exclusive partnership between Roche Diabetes Care, a pioneer and global market leader in the development of diabetes management solutions and services, and Novo Nordisk, a world leader in diabetes care. The prefilled cartridge and insulin delivery system is expected to make insulin pump therapy more convenient for people with diabetes.

“Today, insulin pump users go through a rather complicated process of filling disposable plastic reservoirs with insulin, typically from a larger insulin vial. Now, insulin pump users can simply place a prefilled insulin cartridge into their insulin pump without any extra handling steps. Novo Nordisk is committed to continuously improving diabetes care and to make the lives of people with diabetes easier, so we are pleased to provide pump users with this new treatment option”, says Jakob Riis, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Medical Affairs, Novo Nordisk.

Luc Vierstraete, Global Head of Roche Diabetes Care, says “We are excited to be able to offer this solution to our customers and bring to market our innovative Accu-Chek® Insight diabetes therapy system compatible with the option of using the new prefilled insulin cartridge. This can help improve a targeted and effective insulin pump therapy while contributing to a simplified diabetes management in everyday life.”^1-5

Insulin aspart PumpCart® is expected to be launched in selected European countries during 2014/2015.

About Insulin Pump Therapy

An insulin pump delivers insulin from a reservoir inside the pump to a patient’s body using an infusion set and a tiny cannula. Insulin pumps use fast-acting insulin such as NovoRapid®. The insulin is delivered using continuous infusion and is often used by people with type 1 diabetes who receive intensified insulin therapy and test their blood glucose levels on a regular basis. An insulin pump provides these patients with more flexibility and is expected to improve glycaemic control and quality of life^6-7. In some countries 15%, and under 5% in other countries, of people in Europe with type 1 diabetes use a pump, in the US 40% are treated with insulin from a pump⁸.

About Insulin aspart

Insulin aspart [rDNA origin] injection is a mealtime insulin indicated for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in adults and children aged 2 years and above.

References

1. Pickup, JC, Sutton AJ, Diabetic Medicine. 2008; 25(7):765-774
2. Jeitler, K et al., Diabetologia. 2008; 51(6): 941-951
3. Garg, SK et al., Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics. 2008; 10(5): 369-375
4. Reichel, A et al., Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology. 2013; 7(1): 156-162
5. Ziegler, R et al., Diabetes Care. 2013;36(11):3613-3619
6. Neale D. Cohen, Eui S. Hong, Christy Van Drie, Beverley Balkau, and Jonathan Shaw, ‘Long-Term Metabolic Effects of Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion Therapy in Type 1 Diabetes’, Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics, Volume 15, Number 7, 2013
7. John C. Pickup Nat. Rev., ‘Management of diabetes mellitus: is the pump mightier than the pen? Endocrinol. 8, 425–433 (2012)
8. Pickup J. Insulin pumps. Int J Clin Pract Suppl. 2011; 170: 16.